The Girl That Got Away
by PuckleberryFinn123
Summary: Finn always got everything he ever wanted, except for the girl he let get away.
1. Hello

**A/N: First Finchel fanfiction. For those of you who liked my Puckleberry or Brittana stories, I have not forgotten about those, I am still working on them and they'll be updated as soon as possible. Hope you enjoy this one! Songs in this chapter: Hello by Lionel Richie.**

"Dude, what are you staring at?" It was Thursday afternoon and Finn was preparing for his usual 3:30 football practice.

"Have you seen that new girl?" Puck pointed at a girl with black hair across the field. Her back was turned to them, so Finn couldn't see her face.

"No, is there something I should know?" 

"She's smokin'!" Finn rolled his eyes at that. Puck thought any living, breathing; girl with a pulse was "smokin'" so he couldn't take Puck's word for it.

"Yeah, alright man." Finn started jogging on the track, but Puck followed after him.

"What, you don't believe me? You need to see her for yourself." Puck turned around to call this new girl over. The first thing Finn noticed about this new girl was her legs. They were some of the most toned and tanned legs he'd ever seen. His eyes slowly made their way up her body and when he saw her face, he knew that Puck was right. She was pretty hot. Puck must have noticed Finn knew he was right, because he commented on it.

"Told you." She stopped right in front of Finn. She offered out her hand and Finn shook it.

"Hi, I'm Rachel." She smiled a warm, friendly smile.

"Finn," he smiled back.

"It's very nice to meet you Finn." Before Finn could gather his thoughts and say something else, he watched her strut away. It took him a while before he could avert his eyes elsewhere.

"Hudson!" He heard Coach Tanaka call his name, which was the only reason he turned around.

"Yeah Coach?"

"Hit the showers!" After a long shower, Finn gathered his things and headed to his locker.

"Don't forget about the party tomorrow night!" Matt Rutherford called out to Finn.

"I'll be there." As Finn walked out, he felt the door smack against something. He looked down to notice Rachel picking up her books off the floor.

"I'm sorry," he apologized; helping her pick up her books off the ground.

"It's alright," she said, "at least you said more than one word this time." She stood up and brushed herself off.

"Sorry, I'm not the best at meeting new people I guess," he shrugged. They stood in silence for a few minutes before Rachel spoke again.

"Can I have my books?" She raised her eyebrows at him. He looked down at his hands.

"Oh, right, sorry." He fumbled with the books before handing them over to her. She started to walk away, but turned around to ask him a question.

"Would you mind walking me home? I could really use a proper introduction to this town." Finn didn't know how to respond so he just shook his head. "Well are you coming?" She giggled quietly as he made his way over to her.

"So tell me about yourself?" She said once they made their way outside.

"What do you want to know?"

"What are your hobbies, what do you like to do?" She looked up at him.

"Well I play sports; mostly just basketball and football. I sing too." Rachel perked up at that statement.

"You sing?" Finn nodded.

"Just in the shower and stuff."

"So you've never sung in front of anybody before?" Finn shook his head. "Well we need to change that." They walked up to her house and she pulled Finn inside. Rachel sat down at her piano and patted the seat next to her. He sat down on the bench and waited for her next move.

"Put your hand here." She took his hand and laid it on the piano keys.

"I've never really played the piano before," he said apprehensively, "but I play the drums." Rachel raised her eyebrows.

"So you're a drummer? Interesting." Rachel stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his so that her hands were on top of his. She pressed down on the piano keys, moving his fingers with hers. Finn easily noticed the familiar tune.

"I know that song." He looked up at her.

"It's one of my personal favorites!" Before he knew it, Rachel had sat back down and started singing.

_I've been alone with you inside my mind_

_And in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times _

_I sometimes see you pass outside my door_

_Hello, is it me you're looking for? _

Rachel stopped singing to ask Finn a question.

"Do you know the lyrics?" Finn nodded. "Then sing with me." She started singing again

_I can see it in your eyes _

_I can see it in your smile _

Finn took a deep breath before he started singing.

_You're all I've ever wanted (and) my arms are open wide _

'_Cause you know just what to say _

_And you know just what to do_

_And I want to tell you so much, I love you _

They both sang the final lines together.

_Hello, is it me you're looking for?  
'Cause I wonder where you are_

_And I wonder what you do_

_Are you somewhere feeling lonely or is someone loving you? _

_Tell me how to win your heart _

_For I haven't got a clue _

_But let me start by saying… I love you _

After they finished, Rachel gave Finn a round of applause.

"I'm very impressed Finn, that was excellent! You're actually quite talented." Finn smiled wide at the compliment he just received.

"Thanks."

"Would you like something to drink?" She asked out of the blue.

"Sure, I'll just take some water, thanks." When Rachel walked into the kitchen, Finn looked around her living room. He noticed that there were lots of pictures of her performing; some from pageants and some just around the house. He took a closer look and noticed that he recognized the girl in those pictures.

"That was from a tiny tots pageant I was in when I was 4." Rachel came back into the living room, handing him a glass of water.

"Thanks. Hey, what's your last name?" He inquired.

"Berry, why?" Rachel asked; confused.

"Did you used to live in Lima?"

"Getting pretty nosy are we?" She laughed. "Yes I did. What's with the interrogation?"

"I think I know you. You have two dads right?" Rachel shook her head yes.

"I'm Finn Hudson, we grew up together." Rachel bit her lip, trying to remember. "Remember when we met in second grade? You asked me if I wanted to sing with you." Rachel's eyes widened.

"That's right, and you threw a crayon at me. I used to have such a crush on you." She shook her head at the memory.

"Really?" Finn sounded surprised.

"Really, but that was a long time ago." Finn felt his face drop a little. As Rachel was about to open her mouth to speak the doorbell rang.

"Finn, this is Jesse, my boyfriend." Jesse was a lot shorter than Finn; who was just a little over 6'4. He had brown, curly hair, and was fairly fit. Jesse nodded as Rachel introduced them.

"Nice to meet you," Jesse said suspiciously.

"You too," Finn suddenly felt extremely awkward. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school?" As Finn made his way to the door, he bent down to whisper in Rachel's ear. "It was really good to see you again." They exchanged a small smile before he slipped out the door.


	2. It's Not A Date

**A/N: Outfit for Rachel is on my profile. Thanks for being so patient. Second chapter R & R please:D**

"Hey Rachel!" Finn called to Rachel who was at her locker the next morning.

"Oh hey Finn," she said, stuffing books into her locker, "what's up?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out after school today. Y'know, to catch up and stuff?" He kicked the ground and kept his head down as he spoke. He wasn't sure why, but after yesterday all he wanted to do was find out what she'd been up to since she had moved away.

"I would love to but I can't." She crammed the last of the books into her locker and slammed it shut.

"Oh, why not?" He asked with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"I auditioned for Glee club. They're meeting today until 4:30."

"Well, have fun." Finn faked a smile and started walking away.

"You should come!" Rachel suggested.

"What?" Finn tilted his head to the side.

"You should come to Glee practice. You have the talent and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to add another member to the club." Rachel lit up at the idea. Finn debated internally but of course decided on yes. He couldn't really say no to her. He didn't even have to answer before she dragged him into the choir room. Once they walked into the room, everyone turned to look at them.

"Alright guys, this is Rachel Berry, she's our newest addition to the club." Mr. Schuester introduced Rachel to the class. "Hey Finn, what are you doing here?" Mr. Schuester asked him.

"He's here to audition," Rachel chimed in.

"Well, show us what you got." Mr. Schuester stepped aside and let Finn take center stage. Finn started out very softly at first.

_Hello, I love you_

_Won't you tell me your name? _

_Hello, I love you _

_Let me jump in your game _

_Hello, I love you_

_Won't you tell me your name? _

_Hello, I love you _

_Let me jump in your game _

"Sorry, I just… I need a minute." Finn suddenly stopped singing. He turned to face the wall, closing his eyes. He had to admit, he was really nervous. Rachel was the first person he ever sung in front of and now he had to sing in front of 13 other people, including Rachel. Rachel got out of her seat and walked over to him.

"Are you okay?" She said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Y-yeah I just, sort of freaked out. I told you I've never sung in front of anybody before."

"Just do what you did yesterday. If it will help, just pretend that I'm the only person in the room." She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze before walking back to her seat. Once he turned around again, she whispered a few words of encouragement before he began.

"You can do it," she mouthed. That was all the encouragement he needed. He took one final deep breath before starting the song again.

_She's walking down the street _

_Blind to every eye she meets_

_Do you think you'll be the guy? _

_To make the queen of the angels sigh? _

_Hello, I love you _

_Won't you tell me your name? _

_Hello, I love you_

_Let me jump in your game_

_Hello, I love you_

_Won't you tell me your name? _

_Hello, I love you_

_Let me jump in your game_

Everyone in the choir room seemed to be enjoying his performance. Some were clapping along while others were dancing in their seats. He wasn't paying much attention to anyone else other than Rachel though. He kept his eyes locked on her throughout the rest of his performance.

_She holds her head so high _

_Like a statue in the sky _

_Her arms are wicked, and her legs are long_

_When she moves my brain screams out this song _

_Sidewalk crouches at her feet_

_Like a dog that begs for something sweet_

_Do you hope to make her see, you fool? _

_Do you hope to pluck this dusky jewel? _

_Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello_

_I want you _

_Hello _

_I need my baby _

_Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello _

After Finn was finished, he received a standing ovation from nearly everyone in the room. Needless to say, they were all very impressed.

"I didn't know you could sing like that." Quinn said to him after almost everyone else had left practice.

"Thanks Quinn," he smiled. She nodded before walking away.

"Rachel, wait up!" She was halfway out the door when he caught up with her. "Do you need a ride home today?" He was hoping she would say yes. He wanted to find out more about her, how much she had grown since he saw her years ago.

"Sure that would be very nice, thank you Finn." He walked her to his car and even opened the door for her. "How chivalrous of you," she smiled before getting into the car. Finn walked around to the driver's side and pulled out of the parking lot.

"So," he started, "where did you move once you left Lima?"

"My dad got a job in Springfield, so we lived there for a few years."

"And what made you want to move back here?" He looked over at her.

"Believe it or not, I missed Lima. Its home and I wasn't ready to leave just yet." She smiled to herself. "Besides my dad ended up getting laid off anyway."

"If I ever had the chance to get out of here, I wouldn't come back. There's nothing for me in this town."

"You'll get out of here Finn. I believe in you." He grinned as Rachel laid her hand on top of his. After a few seconds, she awkwardly removed it. "Well, thank you for the ride home." Just as she was about to get out of the car, he gently pulled her back.

"Wait! If you're not busy, we could hang out, you know, that's if you wanted to." Why was he so nervous about asking her to hang out all the time?

"I can't, I'm sorry. Jesse and I are going out tonight." She noticed him frown slightly. "But I'm not busy tomorrow." His lips formed into a smile again.

"Okay, see you tomorrow!" He watched her walk in before he drove away.

Rachel wasn't sure why Finn had a sudden interest in hanging out with her all of the time, but she wasn't complaining. She was just as eager as he was to find out what he'd been up to since she left 4 years ago.

Later that next afternoon Finn got ready and walked over to Rachel's house. Before he knocked on the door, he fixed himself up. When he knocked on the door, Rachel's dad Hiram answered.

"Hello, how may I help you?" Hiram asked warmly.

"I'm here to see Rachel," Finn answered.

"I'm sorry but Rachel doesn't want to see anyone right now," he said politely.

"Oh, okay, thank you Mr. Berry," Finn said before walking out the door. Once the door was shut, Finn pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Rachel's cell number.

"Rachel?"

"Who is this?" He heard her sniffle on the other end.

"It's Finn, what's wrong?" Even though he hadn't seen her in 4 years he knew when something was wrong with her, and something was definitely wrong.

"Oh, we were supposed to hang out today. I'm so sorry Finn but I don't feel like going out today," she sniffled again.

"Why what's wrong?" He asked again.

"Jesse broke up with me. Apparently his talent is more important than I was." She took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry to hear that Rachel but staying in and secluding yourself is only going to make you feel worse. You should get out and have fun and make him regret breaking up with you. Show him that you're over him." It was silent on the other end of the phone for a few minutes.

"You're right Finn. I was much too talented for him anyway. I can do better," she said confidently.

"That's the attitude," he smiled, even if she couldn't see it.

"Give me two seconds, I'll be right down." He waited for her to hang up before he flipped his phone shut. No sooner than 5 minutes later, Rachel came walking out the door. He scanned her body yet again and noticed that she still had the same schoolgirl style she always had. With her white blouse tucked into her blue ruffle skirt, her knee high socks and her ballerina flats, she wouldn't exactly be considered stylish, but that's what Finn liked. She was different and wasn't going to change the way she looked for anybody.

"What's with the all the gold stars?" He said as she walked over to him. She was wearing a gold star necklace and gold star earrings.

"My gold stars are a metaphor for me being a star. I believe that metaphors are very important." He smiled at her before speaking again.

"You look nice Rachel."

"Why thank you Finn." She blushed slightly and started walking. She wasn't used to hearing compliments, especially on her clothing of choice, but she liked that Finn appreciated her style. "So where do you want to go?" She looked up at him. "Wow you're a lot taller than I remember!" She said; amazed.

"Thanks, I think," Finn laughed, "I remember when you used to be taller than me." She laughed at the memory. "We can go wherever you want to." He pocketed his hands and walked alongside her.

"How about we go out to eat, catch up?" She suggested.

"Good idea." They walked to the closest restaurant and sat down inside.

"Do you know what you're going to get?" Finn asked Rachel.

"I think I'm going to have a salad." She kept her face buried in the menu.

"Just a salad?" He wondered.

"It's pretty much all I can eat here. I've recently become a vegan so I don't eat meat along with many other things." She peered over her menu.

"Well we can go somewhere else if you want?" Finn started to stand up but Rachel gently pushed him back into his seat.

"No it's fine. Like I said, I can have the salad," she reassured him. "What are you going to have?"

"I'm going to have spaghetti. That's always good here."

"Sounds wonderful." They ordered their meals and talked while they waited.

"So Finn, do you have a girlfriend?" Rachel asked cautiously. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know. Finn wasn't sure why she wanted to know. _Is she interested in me? Is she just making conversation? _

"Uh no, I don't have a girlfriend. I'm single," he awkwardly cleared his throat.

"That's lovely." She smiled to herself and then paused. "Well it's not lovely that you're not seeing anyone, I wasn't implying that I was just…" Finn stopped her before she could continue.

"It's okay Rachel, I understood what you meant." He laid his hand on top of hers.

"Not many people do, thank you Finn." She used her free hand to quickly pat his.

"For what?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"For being a good friend tonight when I needed one. I'm not particularly popular at McKinley."

"It's fine Rach, I'm always happy to help. Well then those people who don't like you are crazy," he shrugged nonchalantly.

"You think so?" She failed to hide a smile.

"I do." He nodded. They sat in silence for a moment before someone they knew walked through the door.

"Oh no," Rachel turned to face the window they were sitting next to.

"What?" Finn looked around the restaurant.

"Jesse's here and he's with a girl." She tried to hide her face. Before Finn could say anything, Jesse noticed Rachel and walked over to their table.

"Rachel, you sure move on fast." Jesse looked Finn up and down.

"I could say the same for you. What happened to "I have way too much talent to be wasting it on some girl'?" Rachel folded her arms across her chest.

"Though I don't believe I need to explain anything to you this is Andrea. She's in Vocal Adrenaline with me and we're working on some new numbers together since we are the leads," he said cockily.

"Well have fun with that." Suddenly Rachel got up and moved to sit on Finn's lap. Finn was shocked but he knew what she was doing, so he went along with it.

"I intend to. And you have fun with your little high school fling." Jesse uneasily watched Rachel sitting on Finn's lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and before Jesse left, she planted a kiss on Finn's lips. Jesse rolled his eyes and walked away.

"So childish," he said as he was leaving. Rachel stood up and smoothed out her skirt before walking back over to her own seat.

"I'm terribly sorry about that." She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I was just showing him I moved on like you said I should."

"Its fine," Finn smiled, "I'm happy to help."

"You know this doesn't mean anything right? I just needed to prove a point," she awkwardly cleared her throat. Needless to say, Finn's face dropped just a little bit.

"Yeah… I know," he looked down and bit his lip.

"Just needed to make that clear." The rest of the dinner was pretty silent. They made small talk in between bites.

"Oh shoot, I forgot to bring my wallet," Rachel said rummaging through her bag.

"It's okay, I'll pay. I was planning on paying anyway." Finn pulled out his wallet and placed the money on the table.

"I will not let you pay. This wasn't a date, so we should split the bill." Rachel sure seemed to be making it clear that they were not on a date.

"Rachel, it's cool. I was the one that asked you to hang out, I'll pay. It doesn't have to be a date; it's no big deal." Finn huffed quietly. It's not that he didn't like her offering to pay, he was just a tad disappointed that she had to constantly bring up the fact that they weren't on a date. He got it; he didn't need to be reminded every five seconds.

"Well, thank you Finn," she said meekly. He just nodded and headed for the door. Their walk home was a quiet one. Finn walked ten paces ahead of Rachel and kept his head down as he walked.

"Will you talk to me?" She ran to catch up to him. "Did I do something at dinner to make you mad?" He looked up at her.

"Oh, sorry just distracted I guess." He kicked a few pebbles on the ground as he walked.

"You know, when you're on a date with a girl, you should try to give her your full attention."

"This isn't a date, remember?" He reiterated.

"I-I wasn't talking about us, I was just making a point," Rachel defended herself. They walked up to Rachel's door. "Well thanks for taking me out tonight. I had an excellent time."

"You don't have to lie," said Finn.

"I wasn't lying. I had a really good time with you Finn," she smiled weakly.

"Thanks, I had a good time with you too."

"Well, goodnight," Rachel stepped inside her house.

"Goodnight," Finn waved. Rachel quickly leaned in and grabbed Finn by the shoulders, planting a gentle kiss to his cheek. Before Finn could gather his thoughts, she quickly closed the door behind her. Finn stood speechless at her doorstep for a few minutes before walking off with the goofiest smile painted on his face.


	3. The It Girl

**A/N: Sorry for the wait again, been pretty busy the last few days. Hope the chapter is good. Please R & R & let me know what you think. The link to Rachel's outfit is on my profile. Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Glee. **

"Rachel, I need to talk to you." Rachel turned around to find Jesse walking behind her on the sidewalk as she walked to school.

"I do not have time to talk to you right now Jesse. I need to get to class." She picked up her pace a little.

"I think I made a mistake; breaking up with you I mean." Rachel rolled her eyes. Finn told her this was going to happen so she didn't take what he said to heart.

"Of course you did Jesse. You're regretting it, just like everyone said you would and I think you should leave me alone now."

"Rachel, will you just listen to me?" Jesse stepped in front of her which startled Rachel. She stood up even straighter and cleared her throat.

"I don't want to talk to you Jesse. Please leave me alone." As Rachel whirled around, she smacked right into Finn's chest. She nearly fell down but Finn grabbed her just in time. "What are you doing here?" She asked him.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to walk to school together but I see someone's already beat me too it." Finn eyed Jesse.

"Jesse is not walking me to school," Rachel explained quickly, "he was actually just leaving, weren't you Jesse?" She raised her eyebrows at him, but he still insisted on standing there.

"Not until you give me a reason to." He folded his arms across his chest.

"Jesse," Rachel walked over to him, grabbing his arms, "we just don't work together anymore. Our relationship was based solely on our talent and while I did care about you very much, you hurt me and I just can't see past that. I'm terribly sorry." A small smile crept upon Finn's face.

"Does he have something to do with this?" Jesse motioned towards Finn. Rachel immediately shook her head.

"No Jesse, Finn and I are merely friends; nothing more." The smile on Finn's face slowly faded away. "Now if you excuse me, I need to get to school; early glee club meeting."

"Your glee club is going to lose at Sectionals," Jesse said smugly.

"I can assure you that we will win. I am confident that New Directions will not only win Sectionals but we will make it all the way to Nationals as well." Rachel yanked at Finn's arm and pulled him with her as they walked away.

"Do you still love him?" Finn asked softly.

"Love him? Jesse and I cared about one another deeply but he and I were never in love. I've never been in love with anyone." Rachel looked up at Finn. "Have you ever been in love?" Finn took a moment before answering.

"No, I can't say I have. But I think I've come pretty close." Rachel stopped walking for a moment and stared at him. She wanted to ask who it was that had made him feel that way but she didn't want to seem like she cared. Why would she? She and Finn were only friends; she'd said it herself. "Rach, you okay?" Finn waved his hand in front of Rachel's face and she snapped out of whatever trance she was in.

"Yes, I'm fine." She started walking again. "I was just thinking."

"What were you thinking about?" Rachel changed the subject.

"Finn, do you think we'll win at Sectionals? I know we still have a lot of work to do but do you think we'll be good enough?"

"We're not only going to win at Sectionals, but we'll make it to Nationals too, just like you said." They both exchanged a smile.

"Hey guys, Mr. Schue is waiting for you." Quinn poked her head out of the choir room just as Rachel and Finn walked up to the door.

"Hey guys, glad you could join us, take a seat." Finn and Rachel both sat down as Mr. Schuester explained this week's assignment to the group.

"I called you all here for an extra Glee meeting because Sectionals is coming up in less than a month. We need to start practicing more and working harder. Your assignment this week is to pick a song that is meaningful to you. You will perform these songs on Monday and your peers will vote for the best performance. The two people with the most votes will perform a duet at Sectionals! Think out of the box guys. Think of a song that really means something to you and make sure to explain why before your performance on Monday. I can't wait to see what you all come up with!" Mr. Schuester finished just before the bell rang.

"So what song are you thinking of doing?" Rachel asked Finn as they walked out of the choir room.

"I don't know," he shrugged, "you?"

"I have a few song selections prepared."

"Any I know?"

"I don't know. I guess you'll find out Monday." Rachel winked at him and walked into her next class. Finn was left yet again with a goofy smile on his face.

"What are you looking at?" Quinn questioned; walking up next to him.

"Nothing." He scratched his head in confusion.

"So I was just wondering if you wanted to come by my house later. I wanted to see what you thought about my song choices; maybe you could help me?"

"Sure," Finn nodded, "see you after school." Quinn waved and walked away.

* * *

"Would you like a snack?" Quinn got up from the couch after flipping through some songs with Finn.

"That'd be nice, thanks." Quinn walked into the kitchen as Finn looked through some more songs. The papers fell out of his hand and all over the floor. As he picked them up he noticed a paper that didn't have song lyrics on it but something about teenage pregnancy. _Why would Quinn have these? He thought to himself. _Quinn walked back into the room just as he tried to shove the paper back into her folder, but it was already too late.

"What were you looking at?" She placed a glass of milk and a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the table in front of them. Before Finn had time to answer, she gently took the paper out of his hand and scanned it. She immediately knew what it was and turned beet red. "I-I can explain," she said; clearly embarrassed.

"Are you, are you pregnant Quinn?" He said a little too loudly.

"Shh, please keep quiet. If my parents find out they will burn me like a witch."

"So… you are?" Quinn only nodded. "Whose baby is it?"

"Puck's." She bit her lip. _Puck, as in my best friend Puck? He usually talked about every hook up he had; why didn't he mention Quinn? _

"Does he know?" Finn whispered.

"Nobody knows and I really would appreciate it staying that way." She looked at Finn with helplessness in her eyes. He knew he had to keep this secret for her.

"Your secrets safe with me Quinn."

"Thank you very much." She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him closely. Just as he returned the hug, Quinn's mother walked in.

"Oh, what's this?" Judy Fabray said with a smile on her face.

"This is Finn. He's on the football team." Quinn wanted to avoid bringing up glee club as much as she possibly could since her parents didn't know about it.

"Well hi Finn, it's very nice to meet you." Judy extended her hand and Finn shook it.

"Hello Mrs. Fabray, it's nice to meet you too."

"So what are you guys working on?" She asked.

"Oh I'm helping Quinn pick…" Quinn instantly stopped Finn.

"Cheers! He's helping me pick some new cheers for the game on Friday."

"That's nice. You kids have fun." Judy walked back upstairs.

"Why didn't you just tell her you were working on a song for Glee club?"

"She wouldn't understand. My parents think I'm this "it" girl; the perfect, pretty, popular cheerleader. They would never understand why I would be in Glee club," Quinn shrugged.

"Then you should definitely pick this song." Finn held up a piece of paper that had the lyrics to Kate Voegele's "Angel" on it. Quinn smiled in approval.

"This is perfect! Thank you Finn!" She pulled him in for another hug.

"I'm glad I could help."

* * *

"What is she wearing?" Santana laughed along with Brittany as they made fun of Rachel's outfit for the day.

"I think it's a pantsuit."

"That is the ugliest effing pantsuit I have ever seen." They both snickered louder as Rachel walked past them. Rachel pretended she didn't even hear them. Just as she was about to reach her next class, Puck threw an ice cold slushie straight in her face. It stung as it made contact with her skin and it dripped all into her shirt. She tried to ignore the laughs and people pointing at her but it had just become too much. Humiliation seemed to be a daily occurrence for her. She ran into the nearest girls' bathroom she could find, but not before Finn saw what had happened. He walked through the throng of laughing teenagers in the hallway to stand next to the bathroom door.

"Rach are you okay?" He asked caringly. He didn't receive a response, so he asked again. "Rachel, talk to me."

"I'm fine Finn, okay?" Obviously that was not the case.

"No you're not. You're hurting and I know it. All of these people out here; they're idiots who have nothing better to do with their lives than to make other people feel bad." After a few minutes, he heard the bathroom door open and Rachel appeared outside of it. Finn scooped her up into his arms and hugged her tightly.

"Ignore them Rach; they're not worth it," he whispered to her. Just then, Finn saw Puck walking by. He let go of Rachel and walked over to Puck; slamming him up against the wall.

"Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?" Puck said; pushing him off.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you! Why did you throw a slushie at Rachel?" He asked; gripping Puck's shirt yet again.

"Because I wanted to; I don't need to explain anything to you."

"Don't let it happen again or you'll have to deal with me," said Finn sternly.

"Whatever happened to bros before hoes?" Puck grabbed his book bag off the ground and slung it over his shoulder.

"I'm serious Puck; don't mess with Rachel again." Puck rolled his eyes and walked away. Finn turned his attention back to Rachel.

"Um, thanks Finn," she spoke softly.

"Let's get you cleaned up." He gave her a gentle shove towards the washroom.

"I-I don't have any clothes to change into," she voiced shyly.

"You can wear this." Finn pulled a football jersey out of his backpack. "It probably won't fit but you can always change when you get home.

"Thanks." She strode into the bathroom to change. A few minutes later she reappeared wearing nothing but Finn's football jersey and her black leggings. Finn had to say, the jersey looked way better on her. She looked, dare he say it, hot.

"Want me to drive you home?" Rachel nodded. He slung his arm around her shoulder, keeping her close to him as they walked. He didn't want anybody else to mess with her. During the car ride, Rachel stayed silent; looking out the passenger's side window the whole time.

"Thanks for the ride home Finn," her voice still as soft as ever.

"Anytime Rach; you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, and thank you for helping me this afternoon. I'll get this jersey back to you tomorrow morning."

"Keep it, I have another one."

"Thanks again Finn." She bit her lip and hesitated in the car for a moment.

"Do you need anything else?" He asked. She leaned over and quickly pecked his lips before getting out of the car and walking into her house. Finn was speechless. He knew even if she tried to deny it; the kiss meant something. He could feel it and he knew she did too. Why else would she have done it?


	4. Underdog

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reads & reviews the story. It truly means the world to me. I know this chapter's a little short, but I promise good things on the way:D Let me know what you think about this chapter**. **Songs in this chapter: Underdog by Jonas Brothers & Angel by Kate Voegele**.

Monday morning the glee kids piled into the auditorium to perform their songs. Some of the song choices were to be expected while others were complete surprises. Rachel's song choice; was a surprise to everyone. Everybody was expecting her to pick some kind of show tune and say the reason it was meaningful to her was because "she was going to a star" someday, but that couldn't have been farther from the truth.

"I've chosen to sing "I Miss You" by Miley Cyrus. The reason I have chosen this song is because a year ago one of my fathers passed away. It was a really hard thing to deal with and this song just reminded me of everything I was feeling at the time," Rachel said before taking a moment to compose herself. It definitely gave everyone a new perspective on the brunette. And it only made Finn even more confident that he chose the right song to sing.

"If you listen to the song I think the lyrics pretty much explain everything." He smiled at Rachel and began to sing.

_She's an underdog_

_Lives next door to me _

_She's always heard you won't amount to anything _

_And it kills me to watch the agony beyond her eyes _

_Tragic the way that people pass her by _

_But now I realize _

Finn jumped off the stage and walked over to where Rachel was sitting. A look of bewilderment overcame Rachel's face, but he didn't care. He grabbed her hand and sang directly to her.

_That everyone sees her _

_But nobody knows her_

_She screams in her pillow_

_For a better tomorrow _

_She hates it _

_But she takes it _

_Watch out for that girl _

_One day she may change the world _

_She's original _

_Never trying to fit in _

_She's got a way to always go _

_Against the grain _

_Oh yeah_

_Someday they'll see how beautiful she really is _

_I know the last will be the first _

_The tables gonna turn cause _

Everyone in the room was overcome with some kind of emotion. After Rachel's beautiful performance, some of them were starting to see her differently. Finn's performance couldn't have come at a better time.

_Everyone sees her _

_But nobody knows her_

_She screams in her pillow _

_For a better tomorrow _

_She hates it _

_But she fakes it _

_Watch out for that girl _

_One day she may change the world _

_Maybe she'll be in a movie _

_Maybe she'll be in a song _

_Better pay her some attention _

_Before she's gone _

_She's an underdog_

_She means the world to me_

Those lyrics couldn't have been more true. Rachel did mean a lot to him; way more than he ever thought possible. Once he finished up the song, he got a nod of approval from Rachel. She smiled brightly at him and flung her arms around his neck; hugging him tightly. He returned the hug as she whispered "thank you" in his ear.

Quinn was next to perform. She had been practicing in front of Finn all week but this was different. This was the whole club. What if they didn't understand what she was trying to say? This was the first time she'd been back to school since she found out for sure that she was pregnant. What if her baby bump was already showing? She subconsciously held her stomach as she spoke.

"I chose this song because everyone has this perception of me as this wholesome good girl." There were a few laughs; most likely from Santana and Puck; but Quinn continued on. "But perceptions can be deceiving. I'm not saying I go out and party and drink, but just because I choose not to do those things doesn't mean I'm this untouchable, perfect girl on a pedestal. I make mistakes; just like everybody else." While Puck had an idea of what Quinn was talking about, Finn was the only one who actually knew what she was referring to and it made him feel kind of special. She trusted him with this important secret of hers and it meant a lot to him. Quinn took a deep breath before starting her song.

_I've said it once and I'll say it again_

_I've got something hanging over my head _

_I was laying on your shoulder _

_Perfectly content _

_Until you told me all over again_

_I ain't got no sob story to read_

_But just like everyone else I'm living this life_

_And you don't need to win me over _

_And there ain't no other side_

_To shuffle me from_

_I belong where I decide _

_But you say _

_We don't mess around_

_You've got no freedom to come down _

_We don't take angels from the sky _

_Oh no, we don't mess around _

_You're meant to be among the clouds cause you're an angel _

_But that's a lie. Uh oh oh oh. _

_Well I supposed you think I'm so flattered to hear_

_That I'm the whisper conscience in your ear _

_Yeah, and that's exactly the reason that I'll never fit in here _

_Well nothing's ever that black and white; my dear_

_Cause you say _

_We don't mess around _

_You've got no freedom to come down _

_We don't take angels from the sky_

_Oh no, we don't mess around_

_You're meant to be among the clouds cause you're an angel _

_But that's a lie. Uh oh oh oh _

_I'm not your angel darling_

_I'm not your angel darling_

_I am never gonna be _

_I'm not your angel darling_

_I'm not your angel darling_

_I am never gonna be. _

That was the first time Quinn had ever sung a solo in front of the glee club and suffice to say; they were impressed. None of them knew Quinn could sing as well as she did. Mr. Schuester was the first one to congratulate Quinn as she got offstage. It was pretty clear she would be one of the people performing the duet.

"You did amazing Quinn, just like I knew you would." Finn gave her a warm smile as she made her way back to her seat.

"Thank you Finn. You did such a good job as well." She patted him on the back before grabbing her books and preparing to leave.

"I am so proud of you guys! All of your songs really meant something to you and I think you got the point of the assignment; to perform them with emotion," Mr. Schuester expressed his feelings about their performances. "That's it for today though. I will start writing our set list and we'll start practicing on Thursday! See you all then." Everyone rushed out of the auditorium pretty quickly. Finn grabbed his things before catching up with Rachel.

"What you did in there was really nice. I cannot thank you enough," she grinned as he walked next to her.

"It was nothing; you deserved it. Nobody really gives you a chance because I know if they did, they'd see what I see; a really great girl," Finn said honestly. Rachel blushed intensely at Finn's compliment. They stood by her locker for a minute without saying anything. "So look, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me; like on an actual date." Rachel bit her lip before nodding.

"Sure Finn, I would love to go out with you." On the inside; Finn was ecstatic. On the outside, he was just as happy.

"How about tomorrow night?" he asked.

"Sounds great." Finn quickly leaned forward and kissed Rachel's cheek before disappearing into the crowd of teenagers. Rachel brought her hand up to the cheek he kissed and held it there for a few minutes; smiling brightly.

* * *

The next afternoon as Finn made his way to lunch, he ran into a crying Quinn.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He lifted her head up to look in her eyes; trying to find some clue as to why she was crying.

"My p-p-parents; they found out I was pregnant and kicked me out," she sobbed into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her back comfortingly.

"It'll be fine Quinn; I promise."

"No it's not. I have nowhere else to go," she cried.

"What about Puck, Santana, or Brittany?"

"Puck hasn't even told his mother yet. He said he needs "time." Santana and I don't get along and I couldn't ask Brittany; her family already has enough kids to look after, they don't need another." She took deep breaths as the tears slowed down.

"If you really need a place to stay you can always stay with me until you find something else." He shrugged as she looked up at him.

"No," she immediately shook her head, "I can't do that. It's not fair to you or your mom. You've already done a lot for me, I can't ask you to do this," she wiped her tears as she removed his arms from around her.

"You didn't ask me, I offered. I'll talk to my mom but I'm sure she'd understand the situation." Quinn's eyes welled up again but this time with tears of appreciation.

"You don't know how much this means to me. I swear I'll be out as soon as I find another place to live." Finn pulled her into another hug.

"It's okay Quinn; you can stay as long as you want." They stood in an embrace as Rachel walked past them. They didn't notice her, but she noticed them. She stopped to stare at them for a while wondering what was going on. _It's probably nothing. Don't worry about it Rachel, she reassured herself. _Finn kissed Quinn's forehead before putting his arm around her shoulder and walking to the lunchroom. A wave of emotions overcame Rachel. She felt a little jealous, hurt and most of all furious. He had just asked her out yesterday and now he was… with Quinn? Rachel definitely felt like she was being played.

* * *

"Hey, so I'll pick you up at 6 tonight?" Finn approached Rachel by her car after school that day.

"Actually, tonight doesn't work for me," she said coldly.

"What about tomorrow then?"

"That doesn't work either. Maybe us going out isn't such a great idea anyway. We're better off as friends Finn." She got into her car and started the engine.

"But just yesterday you said you wanted to…" Finn was confused. Was Rachel just playing one of her games again?

"Yeah, well its funny how feelings can change huh?" She glared at him before pulling off. He automatically knew she was pissed at him about something by the look she gave him, but he couldn't figure out why. He was looking forward to the date and he thought she was too. _Girls; they're so damn confusing. _


	5. A Secret Romance?

**A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates lately! I had a busy week (went to a concert & celebrated my bday) and then I've been sick for the past few days. But a new chapter is here! Let me know what you think as always; feedback is appreciated. Love you guys!**

Rachel spent all night thinking about her confrontation with Finn. _Maybe I was a little too hard on him. I don't know the whole story and maybe he was just being a friend to Quinn like he did for me. I should give him another chance. _So it was decided. That morning after her daily morning workout and protein shake, she drove over to Finn's house and anxiously knocked on the door. She already planned out what she was going to say in her head perfectly. She would tell him that she saw them together, ask if anything was going on and apologize for assuming the worst.

"Coming," she heard a female voice say from inside. Just as the woman opened the door, Rachel spoke.

"Finn, I want to," she stopped midsentence as she saw who answered the door. She saw Quinn standing there in a robe with a cup of coffee in her hand.

"Hey Rachel," Quinn smiled warmly.

"Hi…" Rachel paused in the doorway; not sure what to think or say.

"I'll go get Finn." Quinn sensed that Rachel wasn't particularly happy to see her here. A few minutes later, Finn appeared at the door just as Rachel started walking away.

"Where are you going?" He followed after her.

"I came here… to apologize for thinking there was something going on with you and Quinn but now I see that I have nothing to be sorry about." She continued to walk away; not even bothering to look back at him.

"There /is/ nothing going on with Quinn and I. I know it looks bad that she's opening the door in her pajamas and all, but I was just being a friend to her. She really needed someone." Finn stopped for a second; wondering why he needed to explain himself. "Why do you even care if something is going on with us anyway? You said it yourself; we're better off as friends." He raised his eyebrows in question.

I… well I," before Rachel could finish her sentence, she felt Finn's lips press softly into hers. She had no time to react, so she just kissed back. For the first time since he'd known her, Rachel Berry was speechless. Once they pulled back, they exchanged a small smile.

"So… about that date?" Finn smirked. She playfully rolled her eyes and slapped his arm softly. "How about tonight?"

"I'd like that," Rachel grinned.

"You're not gonna bail on me again, are you?" Rachel shook her head. "Good."

* * *

"Where are you going? Hot date with Rachel tonight?" Quinn winked from her place on the couch. Finn laughed and rolled his eyes; sitting down on the couch next to her. Quinn sensed his anxiety, so she put his mind at ease. "The date will go fine, Finn. There's nothing to worry about. Rachel's crazy about you," Quinn assured him.

"How do you know?" He turned his head to look at her.

"Did you see the way she looked at me when she thought something was going on between us?" Quinn laughed softly. "If you guys are meant to be, nobody can get in the way of that."

"Thanks Quinn." He pulled her into a hug before standing up. "See you later."

* * *

Finn anxiously knocked on the door to Rachel's house. He was nervous and excited all at the same time. Sure he went on dates before and yes, he had had a few girlfriends, but that was nothing like going out with Rachel. She was smart, and opinionated, and strong and brave and any quality guys would look for in a girl. Just as he took a deep breath, Rachel's father opened the door.

"Hello, Mr. Berry." Finn cleared his throat.

"Hello Finn, come in." Hiram opened the door wider and stepped aside to let Finn in. Finn nervously stepped inside and stood next to the door.

"I'll go get Rachel." Hiram walked upstairs as Finn looked around the living room. New pictures were added above the fireplace. They all consisted of Rachel during Glee club performances. Finn smiled to himself. It was great how proud Rachel's dad was of her.

"Hi Finn." He looked up and saw Rachel walking downstairs in her typical Rachel Berry fashion. In a yellow and white sundress and white ballet flats she looked smoking; even more so than usual.

"H-h-hey, Rach," he stuttered. "You look… wow." He gulped. Rachel blushed again. That seemed to happen every time Finn gave her a compliment.

"Thanks Finn, you look very nice yourself."

"Have her home by 11; it's a school night," Hiram warned.

"I will, Mr. Berry. Thanks for letting me take her out." Hiram nodded before walking back upstairs. Finn opened the car door for Rachel and got into the other side. He fumbled with the radio before starting the car. Rachel quickly noticed what song was playing.

"This is Defying Gravity," Rachel said; surprised.

"Yes. It's from Wicked, right?" Rachel nodded dumbfoundly. She had no clue Finn was even the least bit interested in Broadway musicals.

"How do you know that?"

"My uh, mom used to take me to see it all the time. It was something that was special to me. It was the only time we really got to spend together considering she was always working." Rachel was amazed at how easily Finn was opening up to her. Guys or girls never did that with her and it made her feel special.

"Wow, I did not know that about you," she smiled a happily shocked smile.

"Well it's not something I go around bragging about," he shrugged.

"You should never be embarrassed about something that brings you joy Finn. Embrace it." He knew she was right. She always was. She held onto Finn's forearm as he pulled into the parking lot. He looked down at her arm than up at her. Just as they both started to lean in, Rachel quickly jerked back and opened the car door.

"Okay, let's go." Rachel smiled, almost teasingly. It was things like that that drove Finn crazy.

"So just put your hands here and hit the ball." Finn had his arms wrapped around Rachel's waist, his hands on top of hers, as he taught her how to play mini golf.

"Bowling, football, basketball and golf; what sport can't you play Finn Hudson?" She smirked before hitting her pink golf ball and getting a hole in 1.

"I'm not /that/ good," Finn said bashfully. It was his turn to blush at the comments being received.

"Oh please! You're the only reason the teams at McKinley even have a chance of winning." She flashed another flirty smile as Finn took his turn to putt. He was so focused on Rachel though that he missed the ball completely. She giggled softly and he nudged her with his shoulder. As they made their way back to Finn's car after the date, they ran into Puck and Santana.

"You're here with Berry?" Puck asked in disbelief.

"Yes, do you have some sort of problem with that?" Finn remarked.

"Have fun Finn. I've heard it's the quiet ones that you've gotta look out for," Santana laughed before walking away.

"You know, not every girl is easy like you Santana." That comment elicited a few laughs from onlookers and an evil stare from Santana. Rachel pulled Finn out of there before things got messy.

"You shouldn't have done that Finn. She's going to give you hell at school now!" Rachel said once they were inside the car.

"Ah, she doesn't scare me. Plus, it's time somebody stood up to her. I'm tired of her always getting away with every comment she makes about everybody. It's disgusting." Finn took a few seconds to calm himself down before starting the car.

Whether it was intentional or not, Rachel left her hand out in the open as if she wanted Finn to hold it. Finn casually laid his hand in hers and laced their fingers together. He saw her smile out of the corner or his eye and that made him smile too.

"I had a really great time on our date tonight." Rachel rocked back and forth on her heels as she stood in her doorway.

"So did I. Thanks for coming with me." This was the moment they'd been waiting for all night. As they both moved closer, the heat was starting to build. He wrapped one arm around her waist and cupped her face with the other. She skillfully slipped her arms around his neck; making sure to stand on her tiptoes as her lips reached his. Once their lips touched, neither of them wanted to pull back. The kiss felt passionate and special and sexy all at once without feeling forced. It felt real. The only reason Finn pulled back was because he noticed her father looking out the window, otherwise he would've continued kissing her if she'd let him.

"I'd better get inside now. I'll see you tomorrow." She bit down on her lip hiding the huge smile that was starting to form on her face.

"Bye," Finn said breathlessly. He waved and started walking backwards towards his car. As he took another step, he tripped over a planter in the grass. He quickly shot back up and played it off.

"Are you okay?" Rachel failed to stifle a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Goodnight Rach."

"Goodnight." They shared one final smile before she closed the door.


	6. Meeting Fiona

**A/N: Really hope you all enjoy this chapter. I don't know if I like the outcome, so hopefully it's alright! Let me know what you think & thanks for all the reads & reviews. Means a lot! **

"So I was thinking, after school do you want to come to the children's center with me?" Rachel asked Finn as they walked down the hallway; hand in hand.

"Sure. What are we going to do?" He looked down at her.

"I usually read the kids stories, sing to them, and help them put on plays. It's a center for underprivileged kids," Rachel stated sadly.

"Wow. You do all that?" Rachel nodded proudly. "That's amazing; it really is." He smiled at her and pressed a lingering kiss to the top of her head. "You're amazing." She grinned happily and stood on her tiptoes to quickly kiss his lips.

"Ew, get a room," Santana rolled her eyes as she pushed past Rachel. Finn heard Rachel huff quietly and felt like saying something to Santana, but ignored her because he knew that that's what Rachel wanted.

"Thanks for walking me to class. I'll see you after school." She reached up to kiss him once more before walking into her math class.

After school, Finn stood by his car and waited for Rachel. It had been over half an hour already and she wasn't there yet. The parking lot became more barren with every passing minute. He thought she might have forgotten where he parked, but that option was ruled out once his car was the only one left in the parking lot. Just as he decided to go back into the school to look for her, he saw her slumped over on the ground near the playground next to school. He ran over to where she was and squatted down next to her.

"Rach, what's wrong?" He got no response, so he repeated his question a second time. When all he received was silence again, he carefully lifted her chin up to reveal Rachel's black eye. "Who did this to you?" He asked; with anger laced in his voice.

"Nobody, can we just get out of here?" She attempted to stand up, but nearly fell right back down. Finn grabbed her sides to keep her steady which produced a yelp from Rachel. She swatted his hands away and gripped her sides, doubling over in pain.

"Rachel, what happened?" He said in both a loving and demanding tone.

"Santana…something about getting you back for the night we ran into her on our date. I told you not to say anything." Finn stood up and started pacing back and forth.

"Well I wasn't going to let her say that stuff about you. This is her problem with me anyway. She shouldn't have taken it out on you, and I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Do you want me to take you home?" Finn felt guilty. Even though he wasn't the one that beat Rachel up, he felt he was the reason she had a black eye and was sitting on the ground in pain. He felt mad at himself but mostly mad at Santana and at Puck; especially if he knew she was going to do this.

"No, I'm fine. Let's just go to the children's center." Rachel's attempt at standing up was more successful this time. As she began to walk over to his car, he followed behind her.

"You want to go even like this? I don't think that's a good idea. Maybe you should just take a day off. I'm sure they'd understand." Finn put his arm around her waist as they walked to keep her upright.

"Finn, it's just a black eye and some bruises. These kids are going through so much more. They're depending on me to help them put on this play. Tonight's opening night. If I let them down, I'll never be able to live with myself. Please, let's just go," she pleaded and got into the car. Finn sighed knowing there was no point in arguing with Rachel. When she was determined to do something, nothing stood in her way. He started the car and drove off. On their way to the center, Rachel pulled a case out of her purse and started putting makeup on to cover her eye.

"Does this look any better?" She asked Finn once he parked.

"Do you want the truth?" He replied. Rachel huffed and dabbed more makeup underneath her eye. Finn could tell she was getting frustrated.

"I'm sorry," Finn sighed and looked at Rachel.

"For what?" She turned to look him in the eyes.

"For Santana; if it wasn't for me she wouldn't have gone after you." Rachel put her hand on top of Finn's and squeezed his hand lightly.

"It's not your fault Finn. I'm sure she would've done what she did even if you wouldn't have said anything. She hates me even though I've done nothing to her. It's just how she is. Don't feel bad." She smiled and cupped her hands on either side of his face and pressed a loving, gentle kiss to his lips. Once they got out of the car, Rachel took a deep breath before going inside the center.

"Rachel!" A few of the kids ran up to her as soon as she walked through the door.

"Hey guys. Are you ready for tonight?" They all nodded eagerly. "You guys are going to be so great! I can't wait to see the play." She walked into the room where the rest of the kids were, where Finn followed closely behind.

"Who's he?" A little girl with blonde hair tugged at Rachel's skirt.

"This is my friend Finn." Rachel pushed Finn forward lightly to greet the little girl. "Finn, this is Fiona."

"Hey Fiona, it's nice to meet you." He flashed a smile and bent down next to her.

"You're tall!" Fiona giggled.

"He is, isn't he?" Rachel smirked and led Fiona and Finn into the other room.

"So what story do you want to read?" Finn was assigned to look after Fiona for the evening.

"Can we read Green Eggs and Ham?"

"Of course we can. We can read anything you want." He grabbed the book and started to read to her until he felt someone tug at the bottom of his jeans.

"Can I sit on your lap?" She asked quietly.

"Yes you can." He picked her up from the floor and sat her in his lap, keeping an arm tightly around her as he read the book. About 4 minutes into the book, he noticed that she had fallen asleep. He closed the book and wrapped his other arm around her to keep her from sliding off his lap.

"Hey, how'd it go with her?" Rachel walked over to Finn.

"Good. I barely started reading to her before she fell asleep."

"Yeah, any chance she gets to rest, I usually let her." Rachel grabbed a chair and sat next to Finn.

"Why's that?" He asked as he furrowed his brows.

"She hardly gets to sleep at home." Rachel's face turned serious as she leaned in closer to whisper something. "I think her mom is abusing her. She'll come here with these marks all over her and she'll say that her mom hurts her but when I question her about it, she denies it. I'm really worried about her. I need someone to help her open up. It's not fair that she has to go through this." By the time she finished explaining Fiona's story to Finn, she was nearly in tears.

"That's so wrong," was all Finn could manage to get out. Rachel only nodded. Just then the manager of the center walked into the room.

"Rachel, we need you backstage. The kids are ready to go on."

"I'll be right there Jess." Rachel turned her attention back to Finn. "Are you going to stay here with her?"

"As long as she's sleeping, yeah. If she wakes up, I'll bring her to watch the play. Good luck babe." He smiled and kissed her cheek before she walked off. Finn looked down at Fiona and brushed a lock of her hair out of her face. Looking at this sweet innocent face, he couldn't understand why anyone would want to hurt her. Even though he'd just met her, he felt this instant connection with her, like he was supposed to protect her. He wanted to take care of her. He didn't want anyone to hurt her. He felt like her older brother. His thought process got interrupted as soon as Fiona woke up screaming and flailing in his arms.

"Fiona, it's okay. What's wrong?" He tried to calm her down.

"I can't tell you!" She tried to get off his lap, but he held onto her firmly.

"Yes you can. I promise I won't tell anyone else. It stays between me and you." She stayed silent. "You have to tell me what's wrong Fiona."

"You promise not to tell anyone?" Finn knew she needed someone to trust.

"I promise Fiona. You can trust me." She closed her eyes before speaking.

"My mommy hurts me. She says I'm a bad child and she'll just hit me. She said if I ever told anybody, she'd…she'd…" Unable to finish her sentence, Fiona wrapped her arms tightly around Finn's neck; letting tears spill out of her eyes. He kept her in his arms as he stroked her hair.

"Does your dad know?" Fiona shook her head.

"He works a lot. Mommy never hits me when Daddy's around."

"It's okay. I'm going to make sure she never hurts you again." He hugged her tighter to his chest. "Are you okay?" He asked, once she finally calmed down and stopped crying. She just shrugged. "Do you want to go watch the play?" He changed the subject.

"Sure," she said unenthusiastically. The play was about halfway over when they made it to their seats next to Rachel.

"Hi Fiona," Rachel flashed a bright smile. Fiona waved and smiled weakly at her. Rachel tilted her head. "Are you okay?"

"Yes I'm fine." She shot a quick look to Finn then directed her gaze back to the stage.

"What's wrong with her?" Rachel mouthed to Finn. He pretended like he didn't hear her and continued to watch the play. As soon as the play was over, Fiona mingled with the other kids.

"Fiona, your dad's here," Jess said, leading her outside. Finn was very uneasy about letting her go home. He wished there was something he could do, but he couldn't tell anyone, so he just stood there and watched her get into her father's car. Rachel came up behind him.

"Something's wrong," Rachel noticed. Finn couldn't find anything to say. "My suspicions were right, weren't they?"

"I can't say Rach." He began to make his way back to his car.

"Finn, you need to tell me."

"I'm sorry, I can't. I promised her I wouldn't." He got in the car and leaned his head against the steering wheel.

"You're not helping her by keeping this secret Finn. You need to tell somebody," Rachel rubbed his back comfortingly.

"It's just not fair," he sighed.

"I know, I know. But if you don't tell anybody, this problem won't get solved." Rachel was right, as usual. But he just hated the idea of going back on his word to Fiona.

"What are we going to do?" He looked to Rachel for advice.

"First, we need to tell somebody; Jess, the police, anybody. And second, we have to make sure she doesn't get hurt again."

"She said her mother doesn't hurt her when her father's there, so that's good. Maybe we can talk to her father?"

"I think that's the best option right now and if he doesn't listen, then we should go to the police," she advised. Finn nodded in agreement before starting the car and pulling off.


	7. The Truth Comes Out

The next afternoon as soon as they got out of school, Finn and Rachel went over to Fiona's house. Thankfully, her father answered the door.

"Hi, I know you don't know who we are but I'm Finn Hudson and this is Rachel Berry. We wanted to talk to you about your daughter." Finn extended his hand to Fiona's father who glanced at him first before shaking his hand.

"If you could join us out here for a moment, it would be greatly appreciated." Rachel stepped aside to let Mr. Henri step outside the door.

"What can I help you kids with?" Rachel and Finn both stood there nervously, not really sure how to start the conversation.

"I… well we…your daughter," Finn started off.

"Mr. Henri, what Finn is trying to say is, we think your wife is abusing your daughter. I know this isn't easy for you to hear, but we're worried about Fiona and we want to make sure that this doesn't happen again." Rachel finished Finn's sentence.

"Why should I believe you?" Mr. Henri crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well what reason do we have to lie about something like this?" Rachel reasoned. Mr. Henri walked back inside his house and closed the door. Finn and Rachel exchanged glances and turned around. Just as they were about to leave, the door swung open again.

"Honey, these children are accusing you of hurting Fiona. Would you please like to set them straight?"

"What? Of course not. Where would you get such a ridiculous accusation like that?" She seemed nervous and Finn and Rachel sensed it. Why couldn't Mr. Henri?

"There you have it. She hasn't done anything, so you are more than free to leave now." Mr. Henri closed the door right in their faces.

"He's in denial." Rachel said to Finn once they got downstairs. "He doesn't want to believe that his wife would do something like that."

"So what happens to Fiona then?" Rachel shrugged. She had just as much of an idea as he did. Finn sighed. "What should we do?"

"Maybe we should just go to the children's center and hang out with Fiona while we can," Rachel suggested. Finn agreed.

After the two hour drive from Fiona's house, they arrived at the children's center. They looked around the building but noticed that Fiona wasn't there.

"Hey Jess, do you know where Fiona is?" Finn approached her.

"She didn't come in today. Her father said she had some kind of accident. He took her to the hospital." Finn and Rachel both turned to each other immediately.

"Which hospital?" They asked simultaneously.

"Lima Memorial Hospital." Before they had time to ask any more questions, Jess disappeared into the sea of children. They ran out of the center and got into Finn's car; headed for the hospital.

"We're looking for Fiona Henri," Finn asked the receptionist once they arrived at the hospital.

"She's in room 304 but…" Before the receptionist got to finish her sentence, they ran upstairs and walked into Fiona's room.

"You told!" Fiona yelled to Finn as he walked next to her bed.

"I'm sorry Fiona. I had to."

"You promised you wouldn't! I'm never trusting you again." She crossed her arms and turned her back towards him.

"Fiona, I'm sorry. But I did what was best for you. You'll see that one day." He walked over to the door to stand next to Rachel.

"Fiona sweetie, Finn's right." Her father came out from where he was standing in the corner. He walked over to Finn and Rachel.

"I should've believed you; I just… didn't want to believe it was true." Mr. Henri was more so thinking out loud, than talking to them directly.

"Do you mind if I ask what happened?" Finn asked.

"When I came home from work, I found Fiona at the bottom of the stairs, crying out in pain. Her mother was nowhere to be found. She must have run away. That's when I knew what you both told me must have been true." He turned to both of them. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you earlier." He shook his head and laid his head in his hands. "This is all my fault."

"It's not your fault Mr. Henri. You didn't hurt Fiona, your wife did." Rachel put a comforting hand on Mr. Henri's shoulder.

"How could this have gone on without my knowledge? I can't believe I was so naïve."

"What's gonna happen with Fiona?" Finn spoke up.

"Well I called the police and informed them of what was happening to Fiona. I'm taking Fiona to live with my parents in Florida since I'm traveling a lot for work. Thank you both again for everything that you've done for Fiona. I'll let you say goodbye." Mr. Henri left them alone with Fiona while he went to the cafeteria. Rachel and Finn walked back into Fiona's room.

"Hey Fiona, I really am sorry. But you're safe now. Your mommy won't ever hurt you again." Finn sat down next to Fiona's bed and took her hand. "I'm sure you're going to like living at your grandparents' house."

"Does this mean we have to say goodbye?" Fiona's eyes were watery, which just broke Finn and Rachel's hearts.

"For now, but that doesn't mean we won't ever see you again." Finn squeezed Fiona's hand gently.

"But I love you guys! I don't want to leave you." She clung onto Finn's neck and he pulled her onto his lap. He looked up at Rachel who had tears in her eyes with a hopeless expression. Finn kept Fiona in his arms until she fell asleep. He carefully laid her in the bed and walked over to her father, who was sitting in the waiting room.

"We finally got her to sleep." Rachel sat down next to him.

"She still upset about moving away?" Mr. Henri asked. Finn nodded.

"She's not happy about it, that's for sure. Isn't there anything else you can do?" Rachel pleaded.

"She doesn't have any relatives here that would look after while I'm away," he sighed.

"She could live with me!" Rachel blurted out. Finn and Mr. Henri looked at her. "Yeah, I mean why not? I've always wanted a little sister and that way she won't have to say goodbye to us." Mr. Henri thought it over for a few minutes before responding.

"I guess that would be okay. But it's up to Fiona." The real reason she wanted Fiona to stay with her was because she wasn't ready to say goodbye to her yet. That might have been selfish, but Rachel knew Fiona wouldn't have a problem with it.

"Daddy!" Fiona called from her room.

"Yes sweetie?" They both followed Mr. Henri.

"Do I have to go stay with Grandma and Grandpa?"

"Well Rachel was thinking, if you wanted to, you can stay with her while I'm away at work. Would you like that?" He sat down on the edge of Fiona's bed.

"Really?" Fiona beamed. Mr. Henri nodded. "I would love that!" She clapped her hands.

"Are your parents going to be okay with this?" Mr. Henri asked Rachel.

"I'm sure they will be more than understanding considering Fiona's situation." Rachel called her dads to make sure and they agreed to let Fiona stay. They all talked and worked out a plan to move Fiona's things into Rachel's house the next evening. After a long day at the hospital, Finn and Rachel said their goodbyes before he drove her home.

"It was really nice of you to take her in like that." Finn said as he pulled up to Rachel's house.

"It was nothing. I didn't want to have to say goodbye to her." Rachel leaned over to kiss Finn before going inside.

"Hey, I haven't seen you all day." Quinn was sitting on the couch as Finn walked in.

"Yeah, today was a long day." He sat down next to her; putting his feet up on the table.

"Aw how come?"

"When I went to the children's center with Rachel the other day I met this little girl named Fiona. Her mom abuses her so Rachel and I wanted to make sure she never got hurt again."

"Well that was sweet of you. Is she okay?" Quinn turned to face Finn.

"Yeah, she's going to be staying with Rachel while her dad is away on business."

"That's really nice." Quinn smiled and leaned in close to Finn. Finn sat there like a deer in headlights.


	8. Wouldn't Change A Thing

"Uh… Quinn?" Finn sat completely still.

"Yeah?" She leaned in even closer and Finn pushed her back.

"I don't think we should be doing this," he whispered.

"Doing what? Watching TV?" She asked in confusion.

"What do you mean?" He asked her.

"What do /you/ mean? I was grabbing the remote off the table." She held it up in her hand. "What did you think I was doing?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Nothing," he shook his head. His response urged a smirk from Quinn.

"You thought I was going to kiss you didn't you?" She laughed. "Ew, you're like a brother to me! That's just…" She playfully cringed at the idea.

"Hey, can you blame me?" Finn's face turned beet red with embarrassment. "What was I supposed to think when you're inches from my face?

"No, Finn, just… no. I love you and all but I don't see you in that way. You know how I feel about Puck and I know you're in love with Rachel." She laughed again as if the idea of kissing him was the most disgusting thing in the world to her.

"In love? Who said anything about love?" Suddenly this conversation scared him a little bit. He's never been in love before. Being that serious with someone kind of freaks him out.

"Finn, it's written all over your face and hers. You guys are completely in love and it's not a bad thing. I think it's cute how much you care about each other." Finn was silent. "Well if I'm gonna get up early enough to help you guys with Fiona tomorrow; I've got to get to bed. Night Finn." Quinn gave him a quick hug before walking out of the room; leaving Finn to ponder her words all night.

* * *

"Okay sweetie, you're going to stay in my old room which is right across the hall from my current room. If you need anything, just let me know." Rachel showed Fiona her room. Everything in the room was pink. Pink wallpaper lined the walls, the bed was covered in a pink bedspread; even the curtains were pink.

"Wow, I love it!" Fiona walked in and laid her bags on the bed. She was in awe. "I've never had my own room before!"

"Well now you do," Finn walked in with Quinn right behind him. Fiona ran over to Finn and he picked her up in his arms. "Hey buddy!" He ruffled her hair. In response, she giggled. "Fiona, this is Quinn." Finn introduced them.

"Hi Fiona," they both exchanged a smile before Quinn walked downstairs with Finn as Rachel showed her the rest of the house.

"I think she likes you," Finn said to Quinn once they got downstairs.

"She's so cute! And she absolutely loves you! You're so good with her." They sat down at the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah, she's a great kid." There was a moment of awkward silence between them as each of them decided what to say next.

"Quinn," he whispered. She turned her face towards his and before she had time to react, he had kissed her. She pulled back just as Rachel walked down the stairs.

"I knew there was something going on between you two!" Finn and Quinn stood up immediately and backed away from each other.

"Get out of my house," Rachel demanded to Quinn. Quinn did as she was told and quickly left. "I can't believe her! She comes into my house and ruins something that was supposed to be special to us and then she kisses my boyfriend? And on top of all that she /lives/ with you? How am I supposed to feel about that?" Rachel paced back and forth across the room.

"I kissed her," Finn admitted. Rachel stopped and turned to look at Finn.

"What?" Rachel questioned.

"I kissed her first Rach. I'm so sorry." He walked closer to her but she backed away.

"W-why would you do that?" She sounded hurt.

"I-I don't know. It was just… in the moment and I was just a little scared that our relationship was moving too fast but I realized there's nothing to be worried about." Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Seriously that was the best excuse you could come up with? Look Finn, if you want to be with her then please just spare me the heartbreak and break up with me now. Because I refuse to be anybody's second choice."

"No Rach, I don't want us to break up."

"Why?" Her face became a little warmer instead of the cold look she was giving him the whole time.

"Because I'm in love with you." Finn said shyly.

"H-how do I know you're not just sparing my feelings?" She tensed up again. She wasn't sure she had heard him right.

"Rach when have you ever known me to do that? I've always been honest with you and kissing Quinn was a mistake. I'm not even sure why I did it. It was stupid." She slowly walked towards him, which he took as a good sign.

"But she lives with you…"

"I know… and I'm sure that's got to be hard for you but you just have to trust me. I love you, not her." He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"But…"

"Shh, stop trying to find excuses. You're the only person I want to be with." He bent down to press a kiss to her lips.

"I love you too, by the way." She grinned as he kissed her again.

* * *

"So my dads took Fiona out for the evening and I figured that we should use this time as an opportunity to practice for glee club." Finn was up for whatever as long as he got to spend time with Rachel.

"Okay, what song do you want to sing?" He sat down on her bed.

"It's a duet called "I Wouldn't Change A Thing." I think it's a very appropriate song for us to sing." She handed Finn the lyric sheet and turned the music on.

_It's like he doesn't hear a word I say, _

_His mind is somewhere far away_

_And I don't know how to get there_

_It's like _

**(She's way too serious)**

_All he wants is to chill out_

**(She's always in a rush) **

_He makes me wanna pull all my hair out_

**(And interrupting) **

_Like he doesn't even care_

**(Like she doesn't even care) **

Rachel held her hand out to Finn and he used it to help him off the bed and pulled her closer to him.

_You _

**Me**

_We're face to face_

But we don't see eye to eye 

_Like fire and rain_

**(Like fire and rain)**

_You can drive me insane_

**(You can drive me insane) **

But I can't stay mad at you for anything

_We're Venus and Mars _

**(We're Venus and Mars) **

_We're like different stars_

**(Like different stars) **

But you're the harmony to every song I sing

And I wouldn't change a thing 

They both exchanged a smile as he grabbed onto her waist and looked her in the eye.

**She's always trying to save the day **

**Just wanna let my music play**

**She's all or nothing**

**But my feelings never change**

_(Why does he try to read my mind?) _

**I try to read her mind**

_(It's not good to psychoanalyze) _

**She tries to pick a fight **

**To get attention**

**That's what all of my friends say **

_(That's what all of my friends say) _

_You _

**Me**

_We're face to face_

But we don't see eye to eye 

_Like fire and rain_

**(Like fire and rain)**

_You can drive me insane_

**(You can drive me insane) **

But I can't stay mad at you for anything

_We're Venus and Mars _

**(We're Venus and Mars) **

_We're like different stars_

**(Like different stars) **

But you're the harmony to every song I sing

And I wouldn't change a thing

He twirled her around and she giggled happily as they finished the song.

We're perfectly imperfect 

But I wouldn't change a thing, no 

_We're like fire and rain _

**(Like fire and rain) **

_You can drive me insane_

**(You can drive me insane) **

But I can't stay mad at you for anything

_We're Venus and Mars _

**(We're Venus and Mars) **

_We're like different stars_

**(Like different stars) **

But you're the harmony to every song I sing

And I wouldn't change a thing

Once the song ended, Finn pulled Rachel into a hug and thought about how fitting the song actually was. Rachel was stubborn and set in her ways and sometimes it annoyed him, but his feelings for her wouldn't ever change.


	9. Just The Way You Are

**A/N: SO sorry for lack of updates. School has been killer. But new chapter's up. Brittana & Monchele fics will be updated soon as well. Please as always R & R and let me know what you think :) **

When Finn got home later that night, Quinn was already prepared for bed. She turned to look at him as he walked in, and then went back to what she was doing.

"I'm sorry…" he walked up to her, but she ignored him. "I understand that you're mad…" Quinn cut him off.

"Why would you do that? Not only did you mess with Rachel's feelings but you screwed with mine too. That is not okay. And you knew I've been wanting to be friends with Rachel but you had to go and screw that up too. God Finn, why did you do it?" She sat down on the couch and crossed her arms over her chest. He walked over to the couch and sat down next to her.

"I don't know.. it's not like it meant anything."

"Oh yeah and that's supposed to make me feel better right?" She huffed.

"No but, I don't know Quinn. I guess the truth is I didn't like the idea of you being with Puck," he said quietly.

"What why? You have Rachel. I'm not allowed to be happy to?" She turned to look at him.

"No that's not it; it's just he's a player and you know that. You and I have become close over the past few weeks. I don't want to see you get hurt, and I know he will hurt you. I figured if I kissed you, you'd develop feelings for me and forget about your feelings for Puck. I know that sounds stupid but I thought it was the right thing to do at the time. Boy was I wrong." He sighed and leaned back, looking over at her. She leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

"In a way, that's kind of sweet." She slapped his shoulder, "But don't ever do it again. I know how Puck is and I know what could happen. Whatever happens is my choice and if I get hurt then I'll need to deal with that. But thank you for wanting to protect me. It means a lot to know you care so much." She smiled at him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I'll always care Quinn. You're one of my best friends." He wrapped his arms around her shoulder pulling her into a sideways hug.

"Wanna watch a movie?" Quinn asked.

"Sure, you can pick the movie." Quinn smirked knowing exactly which movie she wanted to watch. She stood up and pulled one out of her bag.

"Which movie did you pick?" He asked getting comfortable on the couch.

"You'll see."

"Oh not this movie," Finn rolled his eyes, "this is such a chick flick." Quinn fake gasped.

"I beg to differ! A Walk to Remember is one of the best movies of all time."

"If you say so."

About an hour into the movie, Quinn heard somebody sniffle. She looked over at Finn, who quickly wiped his eyes.

"Are you crying?" Quinn bit her lip to hide the grin that was forming.

"What? No. Why would I be crying at this movie?" He said, pretending to be tougher than he was letting off. Quinn couldn't contain her laughter anymore. She broke out in hysterics. He shoved her playfully. "If you tell anybody about this, I swear Fabray."

"You'll what?" She cocked an eyebrow in question as if his threat didn't scare her.

"You'll be sorry," he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Fine, I won't tell anybody. I'll just use it whenever I need to blackmail you." She said the last part under her breath.

"I heard that."

"Good." She stuck out her tongue at him. Once the movie was over, Finn looked over at Quinn, who had fallen asleep. He quietly turned the movie off and covered her up before going to bed.

* * *

Finn:*text* Hey Rach, what are you doing?

Rachel: *text* I have locked myself in my room and am refusing to come out.

Finn: *text* What? Why did you do that?

Rachel: *text* My father introduced me to his boyfriend today. They've been dating for a month. A month Finn! And he never even told me.

Finn: *text* I'm sorry Rach, do you need anything?  
Rachel: *text* Could you please come over? I don't want to be alone right now.

Finn: *text* I'm on my way.

Rachel: *text* Just come in. The door's open.

So Finn got changed and walked over to Rachel's house. He let himself in and walked up to her room to find her laying on her bed face down.

"Rach, are you okay?" He walked over to the bed and sat down, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"No! How could he do this to me? He can't just forget Daddy like that! I thought they were in love?" Rachel sighed and turned over, keeping her hands over her face.

"I'm sure they were Rach, but don't you think your father deserves to be happy? I'm sure he's always going to love your dad," Finn comforted. He removed her hands from her face and kissed her lightly.

"I just… don't want him to forget Daddy." She laid her head in his lap.

"He won't." Finn bent down to press a kiss to Rachel's forehead as he stroked her hair.

"I know," she sighed, "I just can't believe he kept it from me. I wish he would've told me sooner."

"I'm sure he wanted to. He was probably just waiting for the right time." Rachel sat up and smiled at him. "What?" He asked after a few minutes of silence.

"You're really smart Finn." She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her onto his lap. He chuckled lightly.

"You think so? Thanks. I don't get that a lot." She kissed him and pulled away to whisper against his lips.

"Well I think you should. You're very smart." She said reconnecting the kiss again.

* * *

The next afternoon as Rachel made her way to Glee club, she saw Finn and Quinn in the hallway. She thought about listening in, but then again she trusted him. So why should she? But she didn't trust her. She stood around the corner, listening in on their conversation.

"Quinn, you're beautiful, you're smart, and you're amazing; any guy would be lucky to have you." Finn laid a hand on Quinn's shoulder. She touched his hand gently.

"I doubt it but thanks Finn." They smiled at each other in a way that made Rachel's stomach turn. _I trust him, I do. _She leaned against the wall just as Finn turned around. He walked over to her with his hands crossed over his chest.

"What are you doing? Were you just eavesdropping?" Rachel paused, unsure of what to say.

"I-I, well not eavesdropping per say…" she stuttered.

"I thought you trusted me."

"I do it's just, I don't trust her. I mean, you're talking about all of her amazing qualities, telling her anyone would be lucky to be with her. You've never said that stuff to me Finn. What am I supposed to think?" She said with hurt apparent in her voice.

"I was helping her."

"How is telling someone they're "amazing" helping them?" She furrowed her brows.

"She was going to tell Puck about the baby. She wants to be with him. She needed encouragement. She needed a friend. That's what I was doing. God Rachel, why do you always think the worst of me? Do you think I'm that stupid to ruin my chances with you by cheating on you again? You don't seem to understand that I love you, not her. Until you do, I don't know if I can do this anymore. Relationships are built on trust and that's something that we don't have." He sighed a long, deep sigh.

"Finn… I'm sorry. I just get scared about this kind of stuff. I'll admit, I'm a little insecure. Quinn's beautiful and a cheerleader and I'm not as popular as her. Why would you want me when you could have her?" Rachel looked down at her feet, trying to hold back tears.

"Rachel, you're just as beautiful as she is. Sure she has all that stuff, but she's not you. That's the reason I don't want to be with her. You're headstrong and stubborn and always have to get your way, you're feisty and I like that about you. I like that even though you know that other people might find it annoying; you're yourself no matter what. I like how you use words that I don't even understand. I love the way you believe in me when no one else does and the way you encourage everybody even if they might not like you. I love the way you laugh. If that doesn't prove to you who I want to be with then I don't know what will." Rachel immediately cupped his face in her hands and stood on her tip toes to kiss him passionately.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Finn. I love you. I trust you. I'm not sure what I was thinking. Sometimes my insecurities get the best of me, but I don't want that to come in between us." Before she finished talking, he cut her off with a kiss. He scooped her up in his arms and lifted her off the ground, keeping his lips against hers. After a few minutes of being in each other's arms, they walked into the choir room, hand-in-hand.

"Alright guys, who would like to come up here and perform a solo?" Mr. Schuester asked the class.

"Mr. Schue? I have a song." Finn stood up and walked to the front of the class.

"Take it away Finn." He stepped aside to let Finn take center stage. Finn took a deep breath, smiled at Rachel, and began to sing.

_Oh her eyes, her eyes _

_Make the stars look like they're not shining_

_Her hair, her hair _

_Falls perfectly without her trying_

_She's so beautiful _

_And I tell her every day _

_Yeah I know, I know_

_When I compliment her_

_She won't believe me_

_And its so, its so _

_Sad to think she don't see what I see_

_But every time she asks me do I look okay _

_I say _

_When I see your face_

_There's not a thing that I would change_

_Cause you're amazing_

_Just the way you are_

_And when you smile, _

_The whole world stops and stares for awhile _

_Cause girl you're amazing_

_Just the way you are _

_Her lips, her lips _

_I could kiss them all day if she'd let me_

_Her laugh, her laugh_

_She hates but I think it's so sexy _

_She's so beautiful_

_And I tell her everyday _

_Oh, you know, you know, you know I'd never ask you to change_

_If perfect's what you're searching for, then just stay the same_

_So don't even bother asking if you look okay_

_You know I'll say _

_When I see your face_

_There's not a thing that I would change_

'_Cause you're amazing_

_Just the way you are_

_And when you smile_

_The whole world stops and stares for awhile _

'_Cause girl, you're amazing_

_Just the way you are _

_The way you are_

_The way you are_

_Girl, you're amazing_

_Just the way you are_

_When I see your face_

_There's not a thing that I would change_

'_Cause you're amazing_

_Just the way you are_

_And when you smile_

_The whole world stops and stares for awhile_

'_Cause girl, you're amazing_

_Just the way you are, yeah._

"That was good! Great job Finn!" Mr. Schuester gave him a pat on the back as he made his way back to his seat next to Rachel.

"So what'd you think?" He smirked. She laid a hand on his thigh and patted it gently.

"It was perfect. Thank you so much." She leaned her head on his shoulder as he put his arm around her. She really was perfect just the way she was. And he wouldn't want it any other way.


	10. There's A First Time For Everything

**A/N: Hope you like the new chapter. P.S. As a side note, if I ever have Rachel say "dads" it's a mistake. I sometimes forget that I made her other dad had passed away so pay no attention to it. Thanks :P **

"So you sang a song for me, and I wanted to return the favor." Rachel and Finn were hanging out in her bedroom later that night.

"Cool. What song is it?" He sat back on her bed waiting for her to start.

"Just listen. I think the lyrics pretty much say everything that I want to say." She smiled at him before starting her song.

_When I was younger I saw, my daddy cry and curse at the wind_

_Broke his own heart and I watched as he tried to reassemble it _

_And my mama swore that _

_She would never let herself forget _

_And that was the day that I promised _

_I'd never sing of love_

_If it does not exist_

_But darlin' _

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_Maybe I know, somewhere_

_Deep in my soul_

_That love never lasts_

_And we've got to find other ways _

_To make it alone_

_Or keep a straight face _

_And I've always lived like this_

_Keeping a comfortable, distance_

_And up until now_

_I had sworn to myself that I'm content _

_With loneliness _

_Because none of it was ever worth the risk_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception _

_You are the only exception _

She looked into his eyes during the whole performance. This moment was so perfect that her emotions got the best of her. As she sang the rest of the song, a few tears slipped out of her eyes.

_I've got a tight grip on reality, but I can't_

_Let go of what's in front of me here _

_I know you're leaving in the morning when you wake up _

_Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream _

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception _

_You are the only exception _

_And I'm on my way to believing_

_Oh, and I'm on my way to believing. _

Once she finished the song, she noticed that he looked like he was about to cry himself. He stood up and walked over to her, wrapping his arms firmly around her waist.

"That was beautiful babe." He leaned down to capture her lips in a soft kiss.

"I'm glad you liked it. Thanks again for singing that song about me in Glee. It was really sweet of you." She slipped her arms around his neck.

"No need to thank me Rach. It was something I wanted to do. Besides, every single word of it was true." She stood on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his once again. They both deepened the kiss instantly, pressing their bodies close together. She hopped up; her legs wrapping around his waist. He slowly backed up toward the bed, falling onto it and pulling her with him. She flipped them over, pulling him on top of her. Her hands slid up his shirt, her nails skimming against his skin lightly, making him shiver at her touch.

"Rach?" He pulled away from her lips to whisper quietly. "A-are you sure?" She nodded slowly, lifting his shirt over his head. Their lips met in a passionate kiss once again. His hands slid underneath her shirt; fumbling with the clasp on her bra. Once it was unhooked, it slid down her arms. She instantly slid it back up, pushing him away and sitting up; burying her hands in her face.

"Rach, what's wrong?" He sat up next to her, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"I'm sorry. I thought I was ready for this but… I don't think I am." She stood up, walking over to her window, folding her arms over her chest. Finn pulled his shirt back on and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"Rachel, you don't have to do this you know." She turned around to face him.

"I'm sorry Finn. I tried; I really did, but…" He pulled her into a tight hug.

"It's fine Rach. If you're not ready, we can wait. Honestly, I don't think I'm ready either. It's okay." She sighed into his chest as he kissed the top of her head. "Why don't you try to get some rest, alright?" She nodded and he led her back over to the bed. She got into the bed and he pulled the cover over her; kissing her forehead before turning out the lights.

"Finn… will you stay with me tonight? It's just that Daddy's on a business trip and Fiona is visiting her dad and…" Finn stopped her from rambling any further.

"Rach, I'll stay." He walked back over to her, lying down on the bed. She wrapped her arm around his middle, laying her head against his chest. He traced circles on her back until she fell asleep.

That next afternoon Finn woke up to find the spot next to him empty. He rubbed his eyes and looked over at the clock. It was 11:30. Rachel was always an early riser. Even when they used to sleep over at each other's houses when they were younger, she'd be up before 7:00. She said she got more accomplished that way. He made his way downstairs to find Rachel standing over the kitchen counter.

"Good morning." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her cheek.

"Good morning, or should I say afternoon," she smiled and gave him a quick kiss.

"What are you doing?" He asked, sitting down at the table.

"I was just baking cookies for Fiona when she comes home later. Would you like to help me?" He yawned and rolled his eyes. Baking? Isn't that something only girls did?

"As much fun as that sounds, I think I'm gonna have to pass." He leaned back in the chair.

"Why? Baking can be very sexy." She winked at him before turning back around to sift through the refrigerator. He blinked a few times, trying to figure out if he had heard her right. He got up from his seat and walked over to her.

"What do you need me to do?"

She smirked. "That's what I thought. You can help me put the cookies on the cookie sheet." She grabbed a small handful of cookie dough and slapped it onto the tray. She watched him try to repeat her actions and burst out giggling.

"What's so funny?" He asked tickling her sides. She laughed and batted his hands away.

"You're doing it all wrong. You're supposed to do it like this." She took his hand and showed him how it was done. "It's really not that hard." He rolled his eyes jokingly and continued what he was doing.

Once the cookies went into the oven, Finn started cleaning up the mess. He looked over at Rachel who was licking the excess cookie dough from her fingers so slowly that he could've sworn she knew he was watching. It was like she was teasing him. She knew just how seductive she was being and he couldn't look away.

"May I help you?" She bit her lip, trying not to laugh at the way he was just staring at her; his mouth wide open.

"Uh what?" He quickly snapped out of his daze. She walked over to him, running her thumb along his bottom lip; letting it linger, her other hand busy behind her back. He tried to form sentences but only incoherent thoughts came out. He still had that image of her stuck in his head. Out of nowhere, her other hand came out from behind her back and flicked flour at him. She beamed and sauntered back over to the counter. He grabbed a handful of flour and flicked it back at her. That started a war. Flour was flying everywhere, cookie dough stuck to the walls, and soon enough they were both sitting on the floor, laughing uncontrollably. She leaned over and pressed her lips to his neck, sucking off cookie dough that was stuck to it. He repeated the action, lightly biting her shoulder and collar bone. She tilted her head back, allowing him more access as she hummed quietly.

"You were right. It definitely tastes a lot better like this," he smirked. She nodded and ran her hands through his hair.

"As much fun as this was, we should probably start cleaning up. My dad will be home shortly." Finn got up on his feet and held out his hands to help her up. Surprisingly, they had more fun cleaning up the mess than they did making it.


	11. The End

**A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates! I apologize. This chapter is extremely short, I know, because the story has come to an end. There wasn't much else I could include in the story, BUT I am doing a sequel to this story which is in the future. Rachel and Finn get married and adopt Fiona. She ends up being out of control and they have to help her before her behavior gets more destructive. I am working on that currently and that will definitely be up in a couple of days. Fingers crossed. Thanks for all of your feedback on this and every other one of my stories. You have no idea how much it is appreciated!**

A few hours later, Rachel's dad and Fiona arrived at home.

"Hey Fiona, how was your trip?" Rachel walked into the living room to greet them.

"It was fun! Daddy took me to the movies and bowling and everything!" She beamed.

"Well that sounds wonderful. I'm glad you had a good time." She hugged both Fiona and her father.

"And how was your trip, Daddy?" She got situated on the couch.

"Like any other dear; all business." He sat down next to her wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She leaned her head against his shoulder, sighing happily.

"Well I'm glad you're home." While Rachel was talking with her dad, Fiona walked over to Finn.

"Hi!" She ran over to him, hugging his leg tightly. "I missed you guys." He picked her up in his arms and hugged her properly.

"We missed you too Fi. And we have a surprise for you." He smiled and led her inside the kitchen. "Rach and I made you some cookies. Chocolate chip, since they're your favorite." Her eyes widened as a huge grin crept upon her face.

"Wow, thanks! These are all for me?"

"Well you can't eat them all at the same time of course, but yeah. We made them just for you." He reached down and grabbed a cookie off the tray, handing it to her.

"Thanks!" She hugged him closer before taking a big bite of the cookie. Just then Rachel walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, so do you like the cookies?" She smiled up at Fiona.

"They're yummy!" She said with her mouth full. Both Rachel and Finn let out a quiet giggle.

"So we were thinking," Rachel started, "would you like to have a night in with Finn and I? We can play some games and watch a movie if you want." Fiona beamed at the idea.

"That sounds fun!"

"You are the birthday girl after all," Finn smiled.

"You remembered my birthday?" Her jaw dropped in shock.

"Of course, how could we forget that?" He grinned, playfully tickling her stomach.

"This is going to be the best birthday ever!" She said once she caught her breath from laughing. She hopped down out of Finn's arms and walked into the living room.

"She is so adorable," Rachel squealed.

"Yeah she is. And you're so great with her." Finn smiled down at his girlfriend, planting a kiss to the top of her head.

"So are you. I think we make a good team." She looked up at him, reaching up on her tip toes to kiss him quickly.

"Well I /know/ we make a great team." He pulled her back, kissing her once again.

A few hours later, Fiona came downstairs with a bunch of boxes in her hands.

"Whatcha got there Fiona?" Rachel asked, cuddling into Finn's side on the couch.

"These are the games I want to play!" She laid them all out on the table, smiling up at them.

"Which one do you want to play first?" Rachel and Finn got down on the floor, pulling Fiona in between them.

"This one!" She pointed to the Candy land box, taking out all the pieces.

"It's been a long time since I've played. You might need to remind me how to play," Finn stated.

"It's easy! I'll teach you." Rachel and Finn both laughed at Fiona's eagerness.

After a couple of hours of playing games, they turned on Fiona's favorite movie. About halfway in, she fell asleep on the floor with her teddy bear tucked securely underneath her arm. They didn't want to wake her, so Rachel laid next to her, softly stroking her hair.

"You can go sleep in my bed if you want. I think I'm going to stay down here with her tonight." Finn shook his head, lying next to Rachel.

"Nah, I'll stay with you guys." He smiled sweetly, planting a kiss to Rachel's lips, his hand tracing circles on her back as they fell asleep.


End file.
